critical thinking
Paper instructions:

Description
So Much Good in the Worst of Us and So Much Bad in the Best of Us

Can you spot truth even when it’s hidden among arguments full of rubbish? Discerning fact from fiction takes skill. This assignment is your chance to sniff out biases and look for reliable information amid multiple ideas and data by writing a rebuttal to a political campaign commercial.

Step 1: Consider this scenario.

You are a speechwriter for the mayor of Oakland. This is an election year and already the mayor’s opposition is out in force. Henry Levine, the leading GOP candidate, recently aired an advertisement on local television blasting the mayor for his handling of the city’s recent demonstrations, most of which were aimed at overturning the current financial structure of Oakland:

“We know that Mayor Brooks, a Graduate of Johns Hopkins Business School, is an intelligent man. He graduated first in his class and received the 1997 Young Economists’ Essay Award, becoming the youngest recipient in history to do so. Why then do we, the upstanding residents of Oakland, find our streets littered with young and disgruntled vagrants calling for anarchy as a solution to the status quo? We need look no further than the house of cards built by our current mayor. Oaklanders deserve better than what this mayor can offer. They deserve what I, Henry Levine, can offer each and every Oaklander next year.”

Step 2: Assess the Candidate’s Speech.

Before you can begin writing the mayor’s rebuttal, you must first analyze the qualities present in Henry Levine’s initial argument. In a 450-word letter to Mayor Brooks, address the following as it pertains to Levine’s speech:

When does Henry Levine’s speech contain primarily cognitive content? When is it primarily emotive?
What are the primary benefits of using primarily cognitive content within this political context? What are the benefits of emotive content?
Identify any occurrence of bias within Levine’s speech. How can bias influence reliability?
Evaluate the soundness of Henry Levine’s message. Do you believe he has clearly conveyed his ideas? Why or why not?

Before answering this week’s discussion prompt, complete The Graduateinteractive scenario. You will notice that there are multiple arguments presented to influence your perspective on the issue confronted in the scenario. You confront arguments every day. In our digital age, however, they do not merely happen in face-to-face gatherings. Media and social media are often used to convey arguments. What aspects of what you have learned in this class apply to the analysis of such arguments? Keep these considerations in mind as you complete this week’s discussion.

Your instructor will choose the discussion question and post it as the first post in the discussion forum. The requirements for the discussion this week are a minimum of four posts on four separate days. The total combined word count for all of your posts for this discussion, counted together, should be at least 600 words. Answer all the questions in the prompt, and read any resources that are required to complete the discussion properly.

In order to satisfy the posting requirements for the week, complete your initial post by Day 3 (Thursday) and your other posts by Day 7 (Monday). We recommend that you get into the discussion early and spread out your posts over the course of the week. Reply to your classmates and instructor. Attempt to take the conversation further by examining their claims or arguments in more depth or responding to the posts that they make to you. Keep the discussion on target, and analyze things in as much detail as you can.

Before answering this week’s discussion prompt, complete The Graduateinteractive scenario. You will notice that there are multiple arguments presented to influence your perspective on the issue confronted in the scenario. You confront arguments every day. In our digital age, however, they do not merely happen in face-to-face gatherings. Media and social media are often used to convey arguments. What aspects of what you have learned in this class apply to the analysis of such arguments? Keep these considerations in mind as you complete this week’s discussion.

Your instructor will choose the discussion question and post it as the first post in the discussion forum. The requirements for the discussion this week are a minimum of four posts on four separate days. The total combined word count for all of your posts for this discussion, counted together, should be at least 600 words. Answer all the questions in the prompt, and read any resources that are required to complete the discussion properly.

In order to satisfy the posting requirements for the week, complete your initial post by Day 3 (Thursday) and your other posts by Day 7 (Monday). We recommend that you get into the discussion early and spread out your posts over the course of the week. Reply to your classmates and instructor. Attempt to take the conversation further by examining their claims or arguments in more depth or responding to the posts that they make to you. Keep the discussion on target, and analyze things in as much detail as you can.